Today, everyone is a self-proclaimed photographer. It is rather easy to open up the camera app on your smartphone, snap a quick photo, slap on an Instagram filter or two, and produce a photo of professional-like quality. But among all these photo editing applications, programs, and filters, the once fundamental aspects of traditional photography are becoming obsolete. Most active Instagram users and posters do not know the difference between shutter speed and ISO, and that’s okay! It isn’t fair to assume all users would. Truthfully, there is no reason for smartphone using, amateur photographers to learn about fancy techniques when they can just use editing applications to enhance the photo to a whole new level, with much more control and much less effort. However, in a time where more photos are being taken and shared than ever before, it is interesting to note that the art of photography is changing, and likewise, adapting to this new era.
“Do it for the insta” and “eating for the insta” are common phrases among smartphone users. The saying suggests the only reason the photo is being taken is so that it can be posted on social media to show others whatever it is that you are doing. When going on extraordinary trips or doing exotic things, we take pictures to remember the moment and attempt to capture the beauty and awe of a brief point in time. In this moment, most people don’t care about the composition of the photo, because they know they can go back and edit it (put a filter on it) later. Open up the camera app, capture a few pics and edit them later when you get home, so they look perfect enough to post on social media. Smartphones today are equipped with small, portable cameras, perfect for travel. Everything you need is packed into one pocket-sized device. If you are not a serious photographer, there are few reasons to spend hundreds or even thousands of dollars on a large, fancy SLR camera and accompanying lenses.
But “doing it for the insta” is not always a harmless tactic. Psychologists have actually found something called the “photo-taking impairment effect” where, if we take a lot of photos of something, we are less likely to remember it. We have become so accustomed to documenting every activity we do, that often times we forget to just live in the moment. So maybe camera phones, while easy to operate and definitely convenient, are doing more harm than good. If we used traditional cameras, maybe we might only bring them out on special occasions, and document the important moments in time, that way we would spend the rest of our days living in the moment.
While the concept of photography is changing and adapting to this technologically advanced age, the art of photography is still not dead. You may notice photojournalists and news reporters capturing photos and videos of live events on their cell-phones. This gives them a quick, easy way to share the photos and videos of whatever event they are covering. Photojournalists still carry their SLR cameras, but for instant updates and coverage their smartphone cameras are much more convenient. For most of us, however, constantly Snapchatting and Instagramming up to date pictures of where we are is not necessary, but rather a source of entertainment. Perhaps if we put our cellphones down, and pick up a camera our perspectives would change a bit, and we could then begin to appreciate the true beauty of a good photo.
